Means for sealing packages



March 4, 1941. BKJIINKERSON 2,233,666

MEANS FOR SEALING PACKAGES Filed Nov. 14, 1938 INVENTQR GEORGE B.JINKERSON ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES F MEANS FORSEALING PACKAGES George B. Jinkerson, St. Louis, Mo.

Application November 14, 1938, Serial No. 240,330

Claims. (01. 229-47) This invention relates generall to packageselements are very securely attached to the flaps and more specificallyto an improved means for or other sealed portions of the packages, thesealing boxes or containers formed of corrugatpackages may be openedonly by so completely ed board, fiber board and the like, thepredomimutilating the packages that the fact that they 5 nant object ofthe invention being to provide an were opened would be very apparent.

improved means for sealing such packages which Fig. 1 is a perspectiveof a box provided with greatly simplifies the task of sealing thepackthe improved se l ng means f the present ages and which provides forsealing the packages vention.

TENT OFFICE in a more effective manner than was obtained F g. 2 is across-section on a reduced scale when the methods heretofore followedwere emtaken through thebox illustrated in Fig. 1. e

ployed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section show- Prior to thisinvention packages of the type e flaps of a box provided with the imp towhich this invention relates were sealed in varsealing means disclosedherein, the ps being ious ways, the most common methods being to shownas they app W being v d wa seal the packages with gum tape, and by meanseach other for the Sealing Operation.

of metallic fastening elements known as ig. is af a y section similar tostitches. Both of these methods are objec- Showing the ps llustrated inFig. 3 as they tionable because of the time required to seal appear wh nthe sealing operation s being n packages in accordance therewith, andalso beformed.

cause they do not seal the packages securely 5 is a p an View of afragment of a box 20 and completely enough that they may not be flaphaving associated therewith one of the sealopened by unauthorizedpersons in a an e ing members of the improved sealing means distoconceal the fact that the packages were tamclosed herein.

pered with. In the drawing, wherein is shown for the pur- Theoutstanding feature of the present inven- P of illustration, merely, Oned ment of 25 tion is that packages sealed in accordance with invention,A designates a 100K f e ype to the invention are so securely sealed thatthey are Which the proved sealin means d sed herecapable of withstandingextremely rough hanin is p The p d e g a s d sdling without having theirseals broken, and also closed herein y be applied to Va s types ofbecause of the particular manner of sealing the boxes Packages whichinclude overlapp 30 packages they may not be opened by an n flaps, butin order to show one type of box to thorized person without the packagesbeing so which the improved sealing means is pp c mutilated that th factthat they were pened the box A is illustrated in the drawing. This boxwould be readily apparent. Additionally the task includes side walls 13,end. walls C, e d p D of sealing packages in accordance with thepreswhich extend inward1y m the pp d nd as ent invention is so simplewhen compared with Wells at the p and bottoms thereof, p fl p thesealing methods heretofore followed that E and F Which a hinged e s onsof the side much time and expense is saved to business orwalls B and aremovable to horizontal positions ganizations who pack, seal and ship outthouwhere the top p E overlaps the l fl p F sands of packages at day.close the top of the box, and similar bottom flaps 4 Briefly stated theinvention disclosed herein G and H, wh ch are hinged extensions of the01 comprises r vidi flaps or th portions of posed side walls B and aremovable to horizonthe packages, which are to be secured together telPositions Where the bottom p H underto seal the packages, with metallicelements lies the bottom flap G to close the bottom of 4 which are solocated that cooperating metallic the b W n the b X A s C os d a ts t pelements of related fiaps are brought into contact and bettem the end pD at the p 0f the box with each other when the flaps or other pore d p den h th v pp d n fl ps E tions of the packages are moved to their closedand F, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the end positions. Thesecooperating elements are then flaps D at the bottom of the box aredisposed welded together with the aid of a suitable elecabove theoverlapped bottom flaps G and H as 50 trical or other welding apparatusto very securely shown in Fig. 2. and positively attach together theparts of the Associated with the top flap E is a plurality of packageswith which the metallic elements are metallic plates l, and associatedwith the top associated. With the metallic elements welded flap F is alike number of similar metallic plates together as described, andbecause said metallic 2, the plates I and 2 bein so positioned with 55respect to their associated flaps that said plates I will be locatedabove and in contact with the plates 2 when the flaps E and F are movedto their horizontal positions where they close the top of the box.Additionally the bottom flap H of the box is provided with a pluralityof plates 3 and the bottom flap G is provided with ,a like number ofsimilar plates 4. Here also when the bottom flaps G and H are moved tohorizontal positions to close the bottom of the box the plates 3 of thebottom flap H are disposed beneath and in contact with the plates d ofthe bottom flap G.

At' the location of each of the plates l, 2, 3, and 4, the associatedflap is provided with a circular opening 5. Each of the plates ispreferably, though not necessarily, circular in shape and each plateincludes an outer marginal flange portion 6, which contacts with a faceof the associated flap, and a circular, dished central .portion 1 whichis disposed in the circular opening 5 formed in the associated flap asshown in Figs. 3 and l. The plates I, 2, 3, and 4 are each secured tothe associated flap by means of a plurality of rivets 8, each of theserivets being provided with a greatly enlarged head 3c'which contactswith a face of the associated flap and a tubular shank portion 813 whichextends through an aperture in the flap and through a hole in the flangeportion 6 of the plate and is riveted over in contact with the outerface of the flange portion 8 of the plate as indicated at 80. Obviouslythe rivets 8 are provided with the greatly enlarged heads 8a so as tominimize the chance i that the heads of the rivets might be pulledthrough the material of the associated fiaps to disengage the platesfrom the flaps.

By referring to Figs. 3 and 4 it will be noted that plates I and 2 ofthe flaps E and F are arranged in reversed relation with respect to eachother; that is to say, the plates I associated with the flap E are sodisposed with respect to said flap that the marginal flanges of theplates contact with the top face of the flap and with the base walls Iof the dished portions 7 of said plates approximately flush with thebottom face of the flap E, while the marginal flanges 6 of the plates 2contact with the bottom face of the flap F and with the base walls 2' ofthe dished portions 1 of said plates 2 approximately flush with the topface of the flap F. By so arranging the plates l and 2 of the flaps Eand F, the base walls I and 2 of the cooperating plates are brought intoclose contact with each other when the flaps E and F are disposed intheir horizontal positions where they close the top of the box A. Thisis true also of the plates 3 and 4 associated with the bottom flaps Gand H of the box, the cooperating plates of said plates 3 and 4 beingarranged in reversed relation so that the base walls of the dishedportions of the cooperating plates will contact with each other when theflaps G and H are disposed in horizontal positions where they close thebottom of the box.

When the box A is to be sealed in accordance with thepresent inventionafter the contents of the box have been packed therein, the end flaps Dare first moved to their horizontal positions after which the side flapF is moved to a horizontal position above the end flaps D. The side flapE is then move-d downwardly to its horizontal position in which positionthe base walls I of the plates l of said flap E will contact with thebase wallsz' of the plates 2 of the side flap F. It is to be noted thatthe base wall I of each plate I of the side flap E is provided with anaperture 9 formed therein and to make a seal between each pair ofcooperating plates I and 2 the grounding element J of a suitableelectrical welding apparatus (not shown) is introduced through theaperture 9 to contact with the associated plate 2. A suitable electrodeK forming a part of the electrical welding apparatus is then touched tothe plate I, as indicated in Fig. 4, with the result that thecooperating plates I and 2 will be welded together. This sealingoperation is repeated in connection with each pair of cooperating platesI and 2 to completely and securely seal the top of the box. Thecooperating plates 3 and 4 of the bottom flaps of the box are weldedtogether in like manner to seal the bottom of the box, the base walls ofthe dished portions of the plates 3 associated with the flap H beingprovided with apertures through which the grounding element of theelectrical welding apparatus is passed to contact with the base walls ofthe plates 4 associated with the flap G and the electrode of theelectrical welding apparatus being touched to the base walls of theplates 3 to make the Welds.

From the foregoing it is plain that a box may be very securely andcompletely sealed in an expeditious manner, the seals being of suchnature that the box may not be opened by an unauthorized person withoutso mutilating the box as to make it obvious that the box has beentampered with.

It is to be noted that-end flapsD at the top and bottom of a box beingsealed are interposed between the plates being welded and the contentsof the box so that the contents of the box will not be affected by thewelding operation.

I claim:

1. In combination with a package having related portions adapted to besecured together to seal the package, metallic elements attached to saidrelated portions and adapted to be welded together to seal the package,one of said metallic elements being provided with means which aids inpermitting electrodes of a welding apparatus to be brought in contactwith both of said metallic elements.

2. In combination with a package having related portions adapted to besecured together to seal the package, metallic elements attached to saidrelated portions and adapted to be welded together to seal the package,one of said metallic elements having an opening formed therethroughthrough which an electrode of a welding apparatus may be passed tocontact with the other of said metallic elements, said metallic elementsincluding portions which are disposed in openings formed in said relatedportions of said package, and means for securing said metallic elementsto said related portions of said package.

3. In combination with a package having related portions adapted to besecured together to seal the package, metallic elements attached to saidrelated portions and adapted to be welded together to seal the package,one of said metallic elements having an opening formed therethroughthrough which an electrode of a welding apparatus may be passed tocontact with the other of said metallic elements, said metallic elementsincluding central portions which are disposed in openings formed in saidrelated portions of said package and marginal flanges surrounding saidcentral portions of said metallic elements, and means for securing saidmetallicelements to said related portions of said package;

4. In combination with a package having re-' lated portions adapted tobe secured together to seal the package, metallic elements attached tosaid related portions and adapted to be welded together to seal thepackage, said metallic elements including central portions which aredisposed in Openings formed in said related portions of said package andconstitute the portions of the metallic elements which are weldedtogether, and marginal flanges surrounding said central portions of saidmetallic elements, and fastening devices extended through aperturesformed in said related portions of the package and in said marginalflanges of said metallic elements for securing said metallic elements tosaid related portions of said package, one of said metallic elementshaving an opening formed therethrough through which an electrode of awelding apparatus may be passed to contact with the other of saidmetallic elements.

5. In combination with a package having reto said related portions andadapted to be welded together to seal the package, said metallic elements including central portions which are disposed in openings formedin said related portions of said package and constitute the portions ofthe metallic elements which are welded together, and marginal flangessurrounding said central portions of said metallic elements, andfastening devices extended through apertures formed in said relatedportions of the package and in said marginal flanges of said metallicelements for securing said metallic elements to said related portions ofsaid package, said fastening elements being provided with greatlyenlarged head portions adapted to prevent said fastening elements beingpulled through the material of said related portions of the package, oneof said metallic elements having an opening formed therethrough throughwhich an electrode of a welding apparatus may be passed to contact withthe other of said metallic elements.

GEORGE B, JINKERSON.

